Rotary furnace



' July 14, 1925. 1,546,178

' A. MILLER ET'AL.

ROTARY FURNACE Filed Jan. Il, 1923 8 Sheets-sheaf 1 July 14, 1925.

A. MILLER ET AL ROTARY FURNACE Fiied Jan. 11, 1923 8 Sheets-sheaf 2 July14, 1925.-

A. MILLER ET AL ROTARY FURNACE Fil ed Jan. 11,- 1923 8 Sheets-Sheet 5July 14, 1925.

8 S heets-Sheet 4.

A. MILLER ET AL ROTARY FURNACE Filed Jan. 11,1923

ILLER flea? July 14, 1925. 1,546,178

A. MILLER ET AL ROTARY FURNACE Filed Jan; 11, 1923 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 g gM dale-5 MLl-ER- 41 20 ILLAERv war/w July 14, 1925. 1,546,178

A. MILLER ET AL ROTARY FURNACE Filed Jan. 11. 1923 8 sheets-she t' 6unlmmmm Jilly 14, 1925.

A. MILLER ET AL ROTARY FURNACE 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Jan, 11, 1923venfirs ABA/5R MIL LER:

AV/ ILL July 14, 1925. 1,546,178

A. MILLER ET AL ROTARY FURNACE Filed Jan. 11, 1923 8 Sheets-sheaf 8 zdams/=2 M11. 1 ER geg 5.

Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABNER MILLER AND DAVID H. MILLER, OF .IO METAL SUPPLY CO 01 LOS ANGELES,

FORNIA.

Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNORS CALIFORNIA, A oonronn'rion Orr-CALLROTARY FURNACE.

Application filed January 11, 1923. Serial No. 611,971.

tive steps in one direction tothe chamber so that it is rotated aboutits axis. Another object of the invention is to provide a tiltablecarriage upon which the furnace chamber is rotatively mounted andwhereby certain of the supporting rollers upon which the chamber restsalso form supports preventing axial movement of the chamber when it istilted. Another object is to provide hydraulically operative means foractuating the chamber tilting mechanism and for actuating the chamberrotating mechanism, and in this connection it is an object to provide asingle master'valve for controlling the tilting and rotating mechanisms.I

Other objects and advantages will be made manifest in the followingspecification of an embodiment of the invention illustrated in theaccompanying drawings,

wherein I Figure 1 is a side elevation of the furnaco illustrating insection a contiguous pit in which a portion of the mechanism isarranged. v

Fig. 2 is a plan of the tiltable carriage, the furnace chamber, beingomitted in this view.

Fig. 3 is an end view and partial section showing a fragment of thechamber resting on its carriage.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the apparatus, parts being shown in section.

Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the rotating dog and the locking latchfor the furnace chamber.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view showing the furnace chamber in thedumping position.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of the master valve showing it infurnace dumping position.

'parts thereof in piston driving position.

Fig. 8-.is a bottom view of the valve of Fig. 7

Fig. 9 is a dog operating engine piston showing central vertical sectionof the the Fig. 10 .is a vertical seotionvshowing the dog operatingengine piston in uppermost position with the automatic valve thereof inexhausting position. v

Fig. 11 is a cross section on line 1111 of Fig. 9. 2

Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the furnace rotating engine piston,showing its valve chamber in section.

Fig. 13 is a central longitudinal section on a plane at right angles toFig. 10.

Fig. 14: is a bottom plan of the engine shown in Fig. 12.

' Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the drum and the loader.

The invention is shown as including a drum or chamber2 of any desiredpattern or construction and which, in.the present case,,is shown as openat each end, and these ends are preferably of, conical form to pro videa collecting pocket in the chamber when thesame is arrangedhorizontally. At one end of the apparatus there is arranged any suitableburner B from which flames of combustion are directed into the chamber.

The chamber is mounted for rotation when it is in a horizontal positionupon sets of rollers. At one end there is provided a pair of rollers 3,one of which is provided with a shaft 4 journaled in boxes 5 arranged ona suitable framework. is provided with a tubular hub 6 bearing on a rockshaft 7 passing through bearing The, other roller 3,

boxes 5. The contiguous end of; the furnace chamber 2 is provided withacircumferential track 8 bearing on the rollers 3 when" the chamber ishorizontal. The opposite end of the chamber is rotatively mounted onrollers 10 which are shown as flanged, and these'support the contiguousend of the chamber by'engagement with a peripheral track 11 thereon; theflanges of the rollers 10 overlapping the edges of the track 11 andservin for the 3111' ose of areventin axial, b 23 movement of thechamber when the latter is tilted, as will now be described. i p Therollers 10 are mounted byshort axles .12 in bearing boxes 13 which areshown as secured upon parallel'traiisverse beams .14

which are cross connected solidly at the ends pivotally.

' til-table on the trunnions 18s as pivots and is Wtaclev 1 .(l; Thissubstantial-ll tions 20 between which girder sectionsthe carriage-likestructure let is suspended.

The foundation frame sections 20 are secured: uponvparallel'fOUDCltIIJOll "SIllS 21 which are firmly supported upon the top edgesofv substantial 'W8JllS '22 forming a.

pit23 in which' certain operatingmechanism "to be described is arranged.

ItfWillbe S6611,- l1l1616fftl1*6,-that one end, the' dlscharging end 2%'of'the chamber is the front or charging end 2 of the chamber as Tadapted to beelevated swn'iglngin 'an are on the axis oi the trunnions18. The discharging-end 2* of the chamber and the charging-end; 2 "areshown as conical and converge outwardly providing ample openlugs forcharging and'discharging. :By pro viding a chamberQ Whichistiltable onan axisvat one end of thechainbeig it will be seen that the dischargemouth of the dis charge hr-sad 2? "Wlll' IlIOVG downwardly in an are asindicated byqt l q as bat in v c,:. this W1 l "tacllitat mg ofthe.snieltedicontentsof the furnace into: :a contiguous portable bucketor receprnent. of the dischargingniouth facilitates alsoithe speedofdischarge of the contents CllSQlitlQG no illa and: ,re the l' tes ivrr c c the .chamh en discharge the cent ents; an d preferably suchinechanisinisof hydraulic charaeteri anddsshown, in the present form,aseonsistin'g ota piston '25-, the upper end'ofivhichsis:pivotallyiconnected by a head 26-to a substantialtransversepivot pin 2?.-

This 'issup-ported atits ends in Whatanight be termed bedwblocksi28laterally spaced on the sides v.o'f: the head 26. These bed blocks 28-EOlIlIl means engageablewvith the contiguous lowerportion oi thetrack 8otthe chamberirand support the swingingend of the chamber when it israised and lowered.

The blocks 28 arehereshown as connected substantial p a-ral lel radius:rods: 29 which extend rearwardly beneath the chamber 2 and are solidlycon nected to thetransverse carriagebeains M, Fig. Thepiston is slidablein a cylinder 80 GKtBDCllDgdOWD intothe-pit 23 andwhich is pi oted by afoot blocl; 31 on trunnion 32PIOVIClQCl-tlLQISi OU ina bedlrame 33.

Theoperation ot the pistonprefer ably; secured hydraulically as by theminus sion liquid,preferably oil, from a suit-- e the dunip vert cal"mcv able 13111111) and under control of a manually operable mastervalve. The foot block 31, is connected by a supply pipe 34 to the masterr-valve which comprises a body 35 having a bore 36 in which isoperableabalance-d piston valve having heads 37 and '37 spaeedby spindle 37 Thepiston valve is provided With a stem 38 passing through a stun ing-box39i11 011 end of the valve body and being connected pivotally at 4.0 tonlever 41-.

lever is connected at, 42' to a link43' which in turn is connected to asupporter): v

The operating lever l-1 V is provided "with a gripdiandle 41 lll'WlllCllis-a latch on detent l-G ,normally pressed- ClOR nrvardto enn'ase with anotched fixed "ositionrod. l7; Cf) i. l

pivot 4 L in a fixed The lower-end of this The notches of this rod forman index-as c well as-a retainingrneans toholdthelever 41 in its severalpositions, three in the pres ent'case.

A feature of theanvention is'to provide pa also -of o lemm fluidtherefrom to b L4. H l

a master valve operable for controllingthe valve body is-providedwith arelief val vs 499 ugly p essed to a seat by Q a i I meant vided with anescape or tlllS core l ing pro hy-pass or passa 51 leading into anescape cuct' 52*errtending lon 'itudinally of the body and thcnco b"passage-53 into the opposite end of the valve bore 36 which isprovidedWith a free i to? anged at the botto Thehydraulio lift supply pipe; 34'is attached tothe" master valve body at a port '57, and contiguoustothis-is a 'niain sup "portz58to which is attached asupplypipe 59 leadingto a suitable source of pressure which preferably is apunip 60 which maybe arranged at "the head of the pit. To secure the operation of theliitpiston 25, the operating lever all is pulled to its outemostposition, as shoivn in Fig.7, so-thatthe valve'heads Stand 37 straddlethe f inlet port 58 and 'the port 5? so that pressure of 'Ollfi'ODl thepump 60 is directed to the pipe 34 and this conducts the fluid to thecylinder 3O wherein-it becomes--operative upon 1 the piston 25 and thebed blocks 28 are forced up against the bottomot the furnace chamber andthis isggraduz-illy lifted to the uppermost, tilting position and thelccntents ransverse thereoii discharged'into thereceptacle bucket C. Torestore-the chamber to the horizontal smelting position; the Valve leverll is thrown into the intermediate notcho'l the notched rod a? and thevalve-head 3'?" x is shifted inwardly so as to pass theport 57 and opencommunication between the inlet port and the exhaust port 54: throughwhich the fluid is discharged under pressure of the piston 25 comingdown back to the collecting drum 56. The inward movement of the valvepiston in the body 35 is rendered easy by the escape of oil beyond thehead 37 through the bypass 51 to the duct 52 and thence to the outlet54.

It will be seen that any desired degree of pressure of fluid can betransmitted as from the pump 60 to the elevating or lift piston It isone of the objects of the present invention to provide not only a simpleform of smelting furnace, but to provide one which requires no waterjacket and which can be effectively operated economically and produceefficacious smelting results which have been demonstrated by actualconstruction and use of the apparatus in the reduction of ores. Tosecure economical, rapid and eflicacious operation, it is desirable thatthe furnace 2 be rotated, preferably at a low rate of speed during thesmelting of the ore, and an effective and simple means is utilized inthe present invention for which purpose the furnace rotating meansincludes a toothed band 62 surrounding the furnace and which is adapted,when the furnace is in horizontal position, to be engaged by theoperating mechanism to rotate the chamher.

The rotating means includes a substantial dog 63 which is shown aspivoted on a short lever arm 64 of the rock shaft 7 above described. Onone end of this rock shaft there is attached a lever arm 65, theswinging end of which is connected at 66 to the upper end of anadjustable link 67 which is connected to a wrist pin 68 in a hollowpiston 69. This piston is operative in a cylinder 70 and forms an enginewhich when fluid pressure is applied, will rock the lever 65 and itsrock shaft 7.

Preferably, the rock shaft actuating en gine just described is operativeautomati-' cally after it is once started by the adjustment of themaster. lever 41 of the valve structure 35. To that end the chamberrotating engine is provided with an automatic valve mechanism includingapiston 71 reciprocating in a cylinder 72 and having a somewhat reducedbody 73 and a piston head 7% on one end. The opposite end of the piston71 is provided with a larger piston head 75 operating in a cylinder 76,the lower portion of which has a cross passage 77 leading into themediate portion of the engine cylinder 70. The engine piston 69 is provided at its upper end with one or more escape ports 78. \Vhen thepiston 69 is in the uppermost position, Fig. 10, fluid passes throughthe cross port 77 in under the piston head 75 of the engine valve andthis is with a supply connection 80' leading into the cylinder 72 at apoint just below the inner end of the cylinder body 71 when this is inthe position shown in Fig. 9. A supply pipe 81 leads from the connection80 to an outlet port 82 in the master valve 35, and when the masterlever 41 is shifted to the innermost position and is locked by the detent as at the inner notch of the rod 47, fluid passes under pressurefrom the pump into the port 58 and between the valve heads 37 and 37 andout of the p0rt82 through.

the supply pipe 81 to the cylinder 72 of the engine valve. the piston71, when the latter is in its lower position, uncovers the mouth of aduct 83 leading down the side of the cylinder 72 and into an end duct 8f which discharges into the engine cylinder 70 below the piston 69.Therefore, pressure of fluid from the pump is exerted upon the piston 69and this, moving upwardly, swings the lever 65 and rotates the rockshaft 7. This causes the dog 63 to be forced against the rack teeth ofthe band 62 and the chamber is given a slight degree of rotation. 7

As the piston 69 reaches its uppermost position and uncovers the crossport 77, pressure passes in under the piston head 75 and the piston isshiftedfrom the supply position, Fig. 9, to the cut off position, Fig.10-, at which time the smaller piston head 74; rises past the mouth ofduct 83 and shuts off the pressure supply to the piston 69.

The reduced portion 73 of lit) The smaller piston 74 uncovers thetransfer duct 83 and the weight of the piston 69 becomes eifective toexpel the operative liquid in the cylinder 70 through the passageway 84and the duct 83 into the lower portion of the valve cylinder 72 and towhich is con nected a discharge or exhaust pipe 85 returning the spentliquid to the collecting drum 56.

While it may be desirable to provide for the transmission 'of a. highpressure to the tiltab'le furnace through the supply pipes 3459 from themaster valve 35, it is not necessary to utilize such a high degree ofpressure in operating the chamber rotating dog 63. Therefore, when thevalve heads 37-37 are shifted over to establish communication betweenthe supply port 58 and the outlet port 82, fluid pressure passes to theengine supply pipe 81 and the degree of pressure, therein isautomatically. controlled a i bythe relief valve L9 Wlnchis atithrs'time sub ected to the pressure ot a liquid passing from the port 58' tothe port '82. The reliei valve 459 may be adjusted 'to'yield atapressure, for instance sixty-five pounds, and;

therefore that degree of pressure maybe transmitted to, the furnacerotating e1 gine, any. excess of pressure being prevented by the openingct -the relief ralve 49 which pen:

mits: a lay-pass oit' theitiuid through. the duct 52am to the exhaust-Outlet 54:.

The chamberrotating dog (33 is mounted so that it iseflective upon the.iturrnicevchamher While in the horizontal position, and the.

portion extending" in toward the radius rods 29 Which are-shown inl rg.aspro'vided with a cross piece 92 in which is threader an adjustingscrew93 designed to engage the spring when the carriageaiu the linrnace .arelowered 'to' horizontal"position" This causes a. reaction of the spring91 which throws the latchl SO in we rdly against the toothed handtifl'as the furnace comes into position. As the furnace is liftedv thespring 91 is released. irom the; ad ustnigscrew and the latch swingsoutwardly to a limited position'so as to clear theband 62. To limit themoveiinent of the latch it is shown as provided'with a sliding pin 9%:

which is guided in a fixed eye 95 convert ientl; mountedon the permanentstructure:

On the pin 9% is an adjustableshoulder designed to engage the eye .95When the latch falls'to its outermost position. lil Wlll be seentherefore thatswe have provided a lociiin latch which Will automaticallclear CD 0 l the toothed band 02 as the furnace chamber is elevated and.the latch will he antomatically restored to proper pos1 tiona fter thechamber has been lowered to horizontal position and the spring 91 hasbeen engaged and. contracted sufficiently to restore the latch 90 intolocking en 'a 'ementwitluthe to t: to

band 62. I

It will be seen from the above that the invention provides a very simpleand practicable form of smelting furnace in which manywoi the parts areof small the substantial construction andv can be, when the apparatus isdismantled, compactly nested and prepared for transportation whichspecially; a desirable;characteristic n appae and by rail transportationto a smelter.

Ifronr the operatoi'lsplatform P as by: means of a hand rope 10-itextendmgatrp over the: 1

101 is openechthe crushed ore'or other material will gravitate from thebottom of the ratus of this kind, ;it 1)e.ing an; object; of

, the invention to provide forthe-transporta tron oi the knockeddownapparatus to Janine or itnillwsite and there-erectrng the same so thatthe ore-can: be smelted the-7 mine Orv-mill; on mining site; and therebt.

entirely overcome the expensive transp0rvtation ncidentito theziinovrngrof" lil1fl-,;Ol e wirh a large propontronwi utterly waste a rock to aE61I1Ot$1116lt613 o It; is Well known-thatnumerous eXten-w sire oredeposits are unworked because ot the expense not only of mining theprod.-

not, but oftransporting the ore-in. bulk to The furnace of thisinventionis construc ed of peripheralend,if;,clesired 101111 gitudinal sectionsas are alsothe charging and discharging heads. #Tl'llSSQCil-lOllfllvfOlHlfn of construction enables the -production 50f a turnace chamber in: comparatively small; 3 1 sections of suchweightthatieach or hum hers ofthem CFLIlY bO" convenientlyhauled .orerdiilicult trails to; mininggsitesat; which 1 thebrought-insectionahapparatus can be 0' readiiy erected andoperations;started.y

it has been.demonstrated that" therotm; tron ot a iurnaeo: duringiFll'Q-SIHGlClHQwIS .extremely economicalwand effective since; itprevents the melting metals-and the slag,

from stratifyin before the orebody has, been thoroughlyreducedasthe oremasses.

constantly agitated and turned over repeatw edlyduring: ti16:Sil16lil.sE

A feature oitheinventionis theorganizw 131011 in combination with thetiltable: drum 2, of means for. facilitating the charging;

thereott so'as to produce a substantially-level 1 loo anduniform layerof: the ore in the bottom: 7

:I-OfiLllG drum, and in. the presenticaserwhen I the drunrls partiallyelevated, 33S is shown in dotted lines in; Fig 15 theangle of the bottomofthe drunr will. be ,such' that the ore willwaccumulate along:thebottom inl asubstantially uniform elayerz" .Aboire :the 0 chargingend of the, drum; is provided a sl ced hopper JOOin'the-bottom of whichsis a suitableclosureshonuias a sliding gate; 101- which is'operative bya pinion.securedona shaft 102 having agpulley Wheel 103..'.- r a The he3 Der is of downwardly conver 'ent.

term and its discharge; outlet -is normallyr closed by the gate101,:th1s being opened pulley 103; V hen the drum 2 hasbeen lifted tothe dotted line position, Fig. 15, and'the gatev hopper and Willwbeguided into 'il16'0p61r charging mouth as by a chute 105 pivoted at 106on thelower corner' 01" the hopper. The chute isoii automaticoperationin0103- 111g action andqis normally;maintained.1n

It will be seen that by this arrangement of loading the careful depositof the material along the bottom of the inclined hop per is readilysecured in a practical and rapid manner without any direct or manualhandling.

Further embodiments, modifications and changes may be resorted to withinthe spirit of the invention as here claimed.

What is claimed is:

1.'A rotary furnace having in combination a rotary furnace chamber, astationary rotatable support for one end thereof, a tiltable rotatablecarriage having means to rotatably support the furnace, and means fortilting the carriage.

2. A rotatable furnace having in combination a rotatable furnacechamber, a tiltable carriage having rollers to support one end of thechamber, fixed rollers engaging another portion of the chamber, andmeans for tilting the carriage, the rollers mounted thereon and therebythe furnace chamber.

3. A rotary furnace having in combination a fixed frame, fixed rollersmounted thereon, a tiltable carriage, rollers on said carriage, a rotaryfurnace chamber supported by all the rollers above mentioned when innormal position, bed blocks to engage the furnace, and means to elevatethe bed blocks and tilt the carriage, thereby tilting the furnace.

i. A rotary furnace having in combination a fixed frame, fixed rollersmounted thereon, a tiltable carriage, rollers on said carriage, a rotaryfurnace chamber sup ported by all the rollers above mentioned when innormal position, bed blocks to engage the furnace, radius rods betweenthe bed blocks and tiltable carriage, and means to elevate the bedblocks andtilt the carriage, thereby tilting thefurnace.

5. A rotary furnace having in combination a fixed frame, fixed rollersmounted thereon, a tiltable carriage, rollers on said carriage, a rotaryfurnace chamber supported by all the rollers above mentioned when innormal position, bed blocks to engage the furnace, radius rods betweenthe bed blocks and tiltable carriage, a fluid open ated piston engagingthe bed blocks to elevate the blocks, tilt the carriage and thereby tiltthe furnace.

6. In a smelting apparatus, a rotatively supported smelting chamber, atiltable carriage upon which the chamber is supported, power actuatedmechanism for tilting the chamber on one end, and power actuatedmechanism operative when the chamber is in its lower positionforrotat-ing the chamber in intermittent steps. 7

7. In a smelting apparatus, arotatively supported smelting chamber, atiltable carriage upon which the chamber is supported, power actuatedmechanism for. tilting the chamberon one end, and power actuatedmechanism operative when. the chamber is in its lower position forrotating the chamher in intermittent steps progressively in onedirection.

8. In a smelting apparatus, a rotatively supported smelting chamber,means for tilting the chamber, and means for imparting rotary movementto the chamber and opera tive only while the chamber is in a horizontalposition.

9. In a smelting apparatus, a rotatively supported smelting chamber,means for tilting the chamber, means for imparting rotary movement tothe chamber and operative only while the chamber is in a horizontalposition, and a latching means to prevent reverse rotation of thechamber.

10. In a smelting apparatus, a rotatively supported smelting chamber,means for tilting the chamber, means for imparting rotary movement tothe chamber and operative only while the chamber is in a hori zontalposition, a latching means to prevent reverse rotation of the chamber,and a device for releasing the latching means as the chamber is tiltedupwardly and for returning the latching means to effective position whenthe chamber is lowered.

11. A rotary furnace having in combination a rotatably supported furnacecham ber, means to rotatably support the furnace, a rack, a pawlengaging said rack, a fluid operated piston to operate the pawl to movethe rack and thereby rotate the furnace, and a fluid operated piston totilt the furnace.

12. A. smelting apparatus comprising, in combination, a rotativelysupport-ed smelting chamber, fluid operative means for rotatin'g thechamber, fluid operated means for tilting the chamber, and a singlemaster valve for controlling selectively the rotating means and thetilting means.

13. A smelting apparatus comprising, in combination, a rotativelysupported smelting chamber, fluid operative means for rotating thechamber, and fluid operated means for tilting the chamber, said chamberrotating means being automatically operative in its action after it isinitially started to impart successive rotary .impulses to the saidchamber.

14. In a smelting apparatus, a furnace chamber rotatively and tiltablysupported, a fluid pressure operative means for rotating the chamber, afluid pressure operative -means for tilting the chamber, a source offluid pressure; and'a master valve for-selectively' controllingtheeet-ion ofuthe fluid pressure operative means.

15. In'a':smelting:tzrpparatus, a furnace chamber retatively andtiltably supported, a):fluid preseure operative means for r0tatingtheclmmber a fluid; pressure 0p erative 111Q2111Sf01' tilting the chamber,source of fluid :pressure, and a master valve for seameeure leetivelycontrolling the action oftheufluid 1 0 pressure operative' means, saidmaster :"valve providing"fors the supply or fluid pressure at differentdegrees to the respective means.

111: testimony whereof We have signed-our names to this specification.

- DAVID-11. :M LLER ABN-ER MILLER.

